The invention relates to a rotary machine for the extraction of juice and puree from tomatoes, fruit and other produce, consisting substantially of a cylindrical body closed off at both ends, the underside of which gives out into a hopper for collection of the juice and puree extracted, a perforated and suitably strengthened cylindrical or conical strainer inside of which a vaned rotor separates juice and puree from other waste matter causing the former to pass through the strainer, and expelling the latter via a discharge outlet. The body of the machine is attached to one end of a structure to which the shaft carrying the vaned rotor is journalled; the remaining end of the structure accommodates a drive system which transmits power to the rotor shaft, thereby providing the necessary rotation.
There are a great many machines currently in use which, notwithstanding minor differences from one to the next, are designed and built to operate substantially in the manner described above. All such machines embody the basic concepts of construction and operation as defined by the prior art in this field -viz,
without exception, rotors utilized in machines according to the prior art feature vanes which displace broken produce either tangentially to the cylindrical strainer (i.e., the single vane being perpendicular to a plane lying tangential to the strainer at the tip of the vane) or obliquely thereto (rotors wherein the working surface of the vane forms an acute angle with a plane lying tangential to the strainer at the tip of the vane). In either case, the force to which produce is subject during rotation is such as to trap the produce in that angle where the vane meets the strainer, causing it to clog statically on the rotor vane through lack of the requisite turbulence. Clogging such as this works to the detriment of the process of extraction and is a minus factor as regards efficiency of the system; PA1 rotors in the prior art machines are supplied with produce in arbitrary fashion, with no provision being made to guarantee either the regular size of fragments making up the bulk, or the even and steady distribution thereof along all of the rotor vanes, thereby detracting further from the efficiency of the rotor; PA1 the enclosure created between the hopper casing and the bottom part of the strainer is a single enclosure, also, the strainer perforations are of a single gage, factors which oblige mingling of the end-product in its entirety and limit the machine's capacity to extract juice/puree of different quality and composition from the same bulk; PA1 the greater the percentage rise in yield of end-product from bulk, the greater the accumulation of foodstuff on the outer surface of the strainer, especially nearest the waste discharge outlet. Such accumulations must be cleaned off periodically, provision for which is made in prior art machines by water jet. This method of cleaning is beset by serious drawbacks: if carried out with the machine still running, it will add water to the endproduct; if carried out with the machine at standstill, it involves down-time. In processes featuring ultra high yield extraction; the rapid accumulation of strained matter on the outer surface of the strainer is such as to outlaw cleaning by water jet altogether. PA1 the percentage of juice and puree extracted from produce is the highest obtainable per given variety of tomato or fruit, and is easily regulated by modifying the speed of rotation, hence the degree of turbulence; PA1 foreign matter (stalks, for instance) which if crushed or pulverized would mingle, and detract from the quality of the end-product, remains substantially intact due to the speed of the process and of the noticeable absence of compression between vanes and strainer (the strainer itself also being less subject to distortion and wear); PA1 the surface area of the strainer can be notably reduced, permitting similar reductions in the machine dimensions, weight, and power consumption; PA1 a more uniform break of the produce is instrumental in preventing discharge of waste with a higher or lower moisture content from vane to vane, thereby contributing to better percentage yield overall; PA1 the absence of noticeable fluctuation or interruption in the flow of broken produce to the rotor vanes signifies better distribution of the mechanical load, and a more balanced and efficient operation of the rotor; PA1 the facility of separating the end-product into distinct grades of extraction permits of diversifying ultimate utilization according to quality and composition; PA1 the composition of a single extraction grade is variable at will by altering the diameter, and number per unit area, of holes in the relative stage of the strainer; PA1 in the event of post-extraction operations becoming necessary in order to correct or improve one or more of the single grades, these can be suitably treated while the remainder of the end-product proceeds direct to the batching operation, or whatever; PA1 the grade of extraction can be potentialized to maximum levels in view of the fact that the problem of highly-viscous foodstuff accumulating on and causing blockage of the strainer is overcome; overcome, moreover, without addition of water to the product, and with no difficulty whatever from the operational standpoint.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that machines according to the prior art exhibit numerous shortcomings and drawbacks, at least, where their interdependent components are concerned. The invention described herein sets out to eliminate such shortcomings and drawbacks.